Marine Life

The marine life in Bird Island's waters is rich and divers, with various fish, turtles, crustaceans, octopi, and sea mammals; but certain ones stand out.

Green Turtles

Green Turtles are considered an endangered species and are protected in and around the waters off Bird Island. They lay throughout the year, but are more commonly seen on Bird Island from June to September. They migrate long distances every few years to their nesting beaches around Bird Island and come up to the shore to lay in the evenings. There is minimal exterior lighting on Bird Island so as to encourage the Green turtles to come ashore and lay. As they lay at night time it thus harder to spot them but whenever our conservation officer, Robby encounters one, he informs guests who are welcome to come and watch this amazing sea turtle.

At Bird Island a small group of juveniles frequent Passe Coco as it provides them with the ideal habitat of shallow waters rich in sea grass. Although guests may not get the opportunity to see a nesting Green Turtle, there is always the chance to swim with our younger friends. Find out more here.

Hawksbill Turtles

Hawksbill turtles make it higher up the list and are considered critically endangered. This species of turtle is also protected in our waters, and great care is taken for Bird Island to be a safe haven for these creatures.

The Hawksbill nesting season runs from October to February, and at its peak in December, up to five Hawksbill Turtles a day come out of the sea and up the beach to dig a nest and lay their eggs. It is unusual for a guest who stays 3 or 4 nights during the peak months of mid October to mid January, not to see a Hawksbill turtle laying and likewise from mid December to mid March, not to see their hatchlings emerging. Very often, you will find the same female Hawksbill Turtles returning to the same beach season after season, which is incredible considering how vast the ocean is.

Dolphins

Bottlenose dolphins are more commonly found around Bird Island, one of the most well-known species of dolphin; and occasionally we may see spinner dolphins frolicking in our waters. Most species live in shallow areas of tropical and temperate oceans throughout the world. Dolphins are highly intelligent and friendly creatures; and they are also quite energetic, often found bow-riding when the boat is taken out.

The dolphin is a sociable animal, living in groups numbering between 10 and 100 individuals; even larger groups may form offshore. It's not hard to spot our resident pods of dolphins, making for quite an exciting experience.

Whales

During the calmer months of October to November, whales migrate past Bird Island and during this time a lucky few may be privileged enough to see Southern Right whales, Humpbacks and Short-finned Pilot whales.

Humpbacks are the most likely whales to be spotted. Since their protection from whaling, a small aggregation, have been sighted around the Mascarene and Seychelles Islands. Each year, these whales undertake the longest annual migration of any mammal, travelling thousands of kilometres, from polar regions to the tropics where they come to breed. Short-finned pilot whales may also be spotted as they prefer warm, deep waters, typically around the outer edges of the continental shelf.

Southern right Whales are normally found outside of our region but there have been recent sightings indicating an expansion in their population. These whales are large and slow moving and were thus targeted in the days of whaling. We may come across this species during their migratory period where they travel up north from wintry southern waters to breed.

ARKive is a not-for-profit initiative of Wildscreen charity. With the help of the world’s best wildlife filmmakers and photographers, conservationists and scientists, ARKive is creating an awe inspiring record of life on Earth. Freely accessible to everyone and preserved for the benefit of future generations, ARKive is truly an invaluable resource for conservation, education and public awareness.